A One Mann’s Movies review of “Amazomania”. (From the 2026 London Film Festival). (2026, 3.5*, ’12A’).
My first documentary of this year’s LFF and it is a fascinating slice of anthropology from I Am Greta director Nathan Grossman.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
Digging into the Swedish journalist’s unreleased archives, documentarian Nathan Grossman flips a ‘White Saviour’ narrative on its head by juxtaposing extraordinary but deeply uncomfortable original footage with an alarming 2023 reunion, in which the Korubo finally get to speak for themselves.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (This film has not yet received a classification by the BBFC, but I would expect it to be a ’12A’ based on natural nudity of the Amazonian natives and some themes.)
Talent:
Directed by: Nathan Grossman.
Written by: Jordana Berg, Olof Berglind.
Running Time: 1h 33m.
Review:
Positives:
- This is really a film of three segments:
- The first half covers the 1996 expedition of Sydney Possuelo, a Brazilian explorer and social activist, who risks his life by trying to contact the remote Koruba tribe in the remote Javari Valley in the Amazon. Possuelo is accompanied by the Swedish cameraman Erling Söderström who documents the expedition.
- A short middle section, from 2003, sees Söderström releasing his footage in a TV programme called “Hidden Tribes of the Amazon”, with a syrupy voiceover to accompany it.
- Then the final part covers Söderström returning to the tribe in 2023 to film them again.
- The first part of the film, with the historical footage, is fascinating. The Koruba tribe have the nickname of “clubbers” due to their neat trick of randomly bashing interloper’s brains out. Before going in, he’d briefed the team, getting them to sign waivers, commenting that over 200 people have been killed in previous attempts (without stating the breakdown of white/indigenous I noted!) The film is genuinely tense as the team push through the jungle, finding evidence of Koruba traps and techniques (I was reminded of “Clever girl” in Jurassic Park!) Once ‘first contact’ is made (to use a Star Trek phrase), the footage shot by Söderström is remarkable. The tribe have no concept of anything they can’t make from the jungle. At one point, a young man stares into the camera lens, seeing his reflection and repeatedly saying “Who are you?” In another shot, a young child is playing with a box of ‘Hollywood’ brand cigarettes. Possuelo comes across as a genuinely caring bloke, using tact and diplomacy to engage with this suspicious and dangerous tribe. He is also determined to set up a ‘reserve’ to protect the people… no easy matter when local Brazilian fisherman are constantly boating upstream past the ‘no go’ spot.
- But almost equally fascinating is the return trip in 2023. The tribe have – predictably – been affected by the contact with the wider world, which is kind of depressing. But they have also learned to be much more savvy and the difference between the reception Söderström expects and what he gets is starkly different. He expects to be treated as the great White saviour – “Do you remember me? Yes, it’s me!” – but what he walks into is a bitter dispute about – effectively – reparations for the financial value he has extracted through the original documentary. The anthropologist with them (I am unclear if the lady is the same one from the original mission) backs the local people and an argument breaks out, such that you fear for Söderström’s life.
Negatives:
- There are scenes of animals being caught and killed that will be distressing to some viewers.
- I checked and Sydney Possuelo is still alive: I would have loved to have heard his perspective from 2023 as to the positives and negatives of making that first contact.
- The film – including some statistics shown at the end of the film as captions – make it a bit of a depressing watch: you really wonder how long this type of existence can go on for.
Summary Thoughts:
I went in with no expectations, but this was a quite fascinating (if depressing) glimpse into the impact of civilisation on the uncivilised.
If you’re interested in further reading, Erling Söderström has a web site at https://korubo.com/.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxRXiRNWGXY.
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